Method and apparatus of loading coal and coke



METHOD AN'APPARATUS OF LOADING COAL -AND COKE H. ADAMS March l0, 1.931.

original Filed Feb. 1'7-l 1927 7 WAlwiful .n

' INVENTOR I I s Patented Mar. 10, 193,1

UNITED STATE-s lPA'ylyElSJ'r OFFICE HENRY ADAMs, or rLAINEIELD, NEW ,umani AssIGNoa ro ADAMS COAL MACHINERY COMPANY, or PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, A` CoEronA'rIoN or CONNECTICUT l METHOD AND APrAEA'rUs cia-.LOADING CoAL AND CoxE Reilled for abandoned application -Serial No.' 168,985, filed February 17, 1927. This application led June 19, 1929.v Serial No. 372,111.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for loading coal, coke and other fri-- able material into cars, wagons, barges, pockets and the like, andl more particularly to means for handling said materials in such a Y distance, thereby reducing degradation to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to p rovide an apparatus for carrying out this process which is simple, inexpensive and easy to operate.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide an eicient method and apparatus of this kind for smoothly artificially lavalanching the material toprevent degradation thereof.

Another object lof the invention is to pro vide an eiiicient method and apparatus ofthis kind for removing material from various intermediate parts of large bodies of materadation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for mixing the fines, medium pieces and large pieces as soon as initial withdrawal takes place.

Coal when loaded from pockets or the like into wagons, or the like by most methods in use today, is allowed to drop from the loading Chute of the pocket down to the bottom of the wagon, car or boat, thus causing excessive breakage and an inferior grade of articles.

Some plants have collapsible chutes which are continually getting out of order and are difficult to operate. Other plants have a loading belt conveyor which is lowered into the boat. These are expensive to build and not easily operable, and allow a drop of two'.

or three feet when coal leaves the conveyor. For the method of the present invention, the apparatus is simple and mexpenslve, op-

rial with a minimum of breakage and degcrates easily and with reliability'and a minimum of cars, will not allow the coal to drop any appreciable distance, thereby reducing breakage to aminimum.

Still other .objects of the invention will appear as the vdescription proceeds; and whileherein details of the invention are described and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of. the'invention as claimed in the broader claims. l.

vThe inventive features for the accomplishment .of these and other objects are shown Vherein in connection with an improved apparatus which, briefly stated, includes a hop per adapted to receive the coal discharge means of a coal 'car and adapted to discharge into an avalanche chute receiving said hopper and having side walls with slanting top edges and avalanche plates mounted across said chute at slightly less than the angle of repose of the material on the plate. A bin disposed around the chute has floor sections each provided with a delivery opening toward which the sections slope. A gate forming a material retarding means is provided for each opening; and upright barriers around said openings define delivery chutes thereto open at every side.

The new method which may be performed with this apparatus comprises receiving material from the discharge doors in the bottom of a car, and laterally confining, lowering and delivering the discharged material at an outlet. to the lower part of truck, all the while holding the material in said outlet under control thereby piling up, retarding and controlling the entire course of the material.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example, one form, and in part several,

of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig'. 1 is a plan showing the bin and chutes therein, the car being removed;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, showing the car, chutes and bin and the disposition of the coal therein, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows of said line; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic transverse horizontal sectional views through alternative forms of barriers.

My im roved method and apparatus are disclosed erein in combination with a storage bin or ocket for coal, cokeand other brittle or similar material l0, said pocket comprising vertical side walls 11, 12 and 13 and a ioor 14.

A hopper 15 over said bin near the mid part ofthe upper part of one side wall 13 comprises an upper funnel part 16, a downwardly eX- tending central vertical discharge chute, and an elongated 'laterally downwardly inclined transverse baiiie 18 disposed over and spaced from said discharge chute to retard the flow of material and to prevent clogging. It is disposed across said funnel part to opposite side walls leaving a space between the sides of the baiiie and the intermediate walls of the baile for the passage of the material 10.

A track 2O over the hopper receives a car 21 for discharging coal into the hopper, the discharge doors oi' the` car 22 when open, extending into said funnel part.

An inclined avalanche chute 25 in the bin over the main axis of the floor 14 has its upper end 26 receivind said discharge chute 17 and its lower end 27 (Fig. 1) on the ioor near the opposite wall 11. Said inclined chute comprises a pair of spaced tapering side walls 29, and a chute ioor 30, the latter inf clined at an angle slightly steeper than the angle of repose of said material L10 on the floor 30 and less than the angle of repose of the material on itself, whereby the material may flow down the inclined chute until it reaches the bottom 14 whereupon the material will pile first slightly on the bottom and then up the inclined chute.- Said side walls 29 are horizontally cut oii at the upper part 26 and each has a slanting outer edge 33 steeper than the angle of repose of the material on itself.

An inclined series of separate metal covered inclined avalanche plates 35 are mounted between and secured perpendicular to said side walls 33 in said inclined chute and disposed diiierent distances from the ends 26, 27 of the chute along the open side, each at an angle slightly less than the angle of reing of the material at said discharge port' pose of the material on the plate, whereby the material as it is delivered will pile up a considerable distance on the plate 35 until the material reaches the mouth of the discharge' chute ofthe hopper, to retard and control the iiow of material therein, and until the pressure is suiiicient to force the material over the plate, whereupon the material will avalanche down over the plates with a minimum of breakage, and continue to do so as the lowerpermits more material to be discharged into the inclined chute. The material will then The iioor 14is divided into tially n portionsb the chutev 25, and said portions tions 353.35 (Fig. 1) each provided with a rectangular delivery opening 36 near its middle part, so no material has to travel to the openiig, the floor of each section sloping `toward the opening thereof. An inner pipe member 37 (Fig. 2) is secured around each opening 36, beneath the floorand is received by an outer pipe member 38 telescoping on the inner member and provided at its lower end with slide grooves carrying therein slide gates 40. v

A flexible means such as cables 41 connected to the opposite sides of the lower end of the outer member 38, are secured to shafts 42 mounted on the lower face of said floor near the pipe members and provided with handles 43, vwhereby the outer member may be raised or lowered. Suitable pawl and ratchet means 45 hold the outer member in adjusted position.

Vertical corner pieces 50, of right-angular cross-section, are mounted on the respective corners of said delivery openings, the corner pieces of each opening deiining a vertical delivery chute open at every side entirely from end to end and extending from'the delivery opening to near the top of the bin. This arrangement of the chute open at more than one side is an improvement over the chute broadly claimed in my United States Patent No. 1,234,709 issued July 17, 1917.

The corner pieces form barriers limiting the portion of coal being delivered to an upright column directly over the opening. Said column downwardly gravitationally moves without breakage andl grinding in free contact at every side with the mainbody of material. Upon the top only of the column, as the column descends, fresh material is fed from the top layer of the main body and is fed with a minimum of degradation at a slanting angle of about 25 to {3U-degrees. The parts of said material below the top layers and adjacent to the open sides automatically form a horizontally outwardly arched barrier, as described in said patent, which prevents the flow of the main body into the column except at the top of the column, whereby' degrading disturbance, grinding and breakage of the main body are prevented.

The material being removable through, and controlled by, said slide gates, or by the material piled upin the truck 55, is held against fall and under control .from said car to said truck by means of the gate, barriers, chutes, avalanche plates, hopper and bailie,

two elongatedA are forme into a plurahty of adjacent secwhereby degradation is reduced to a miniv mum.

- lines mixed.y This is accomplished as follows:

t As is obvious, the fines sink near the avalanche chute 25, the large pieces moving to remoteparts of the binl near reference characters 12 and 35, the intermediate pieces remaining in and nearthe uprights 50. The uprights 50 of the withdrawal chutes limit the material being withdrawn to a column above said o ning 36, the fines and the medium pieces o the top'layer of the main body passlng from all directlons to the open sides of the withdrawal chutes and being fed to the top only of the withdrawal column and mixed during withdrawal.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and process for maintaining complete control of the coal from the car to the truck and preventing any fall, grinding or other degradatino influence throughout the entire course. The retarding or piling up of the material at the gate 40 serves to pile up or retard the material all the way back to the car. The material piling up or retarded in the hopper serves for gradually retarding any material discharged from the lower discharge doors 22 of a car; then the hopper and baille 18 laterally coni-ine,

gradually lower, baile and 'retard the material on the way to the inclined chute 30, which serves for gradually lowering the material to form an inclined shaft, the walls 29 laterally confining the material to form a narrow enclosure having an upper slanting edge at the edge 33, in which enclosure the material piles up and retards its egress from the hopper. t

The material piles up on the avalanche plates 35, which serve for intermittently smoothly artificially avalanching the material until it piles up on the floor of the bin, the material being released laterally at the lower part of saidiedge 33, and then gradually nearer said upper end 26 as the material piles up on the floor of the bin.

The upper face of each avalanche plate 35 is unobstructed and wide and substantially all in a single plane and is disposed at an angle slightly less steep than the angle of repose of the material von the plate, to permit the materialcoming down the chute to build up upon the avalanche plate until the weight of the built-up material is suiicient to cause the material to avalanche in a body over the plate. The floor 30 of said chuteis arranged relative to the avalanche'plates to maintain a relatively stationary protecting bed of coal in the chute, extending from plate to plate, over which bed the material asses to and from the avalanche plates and rom one plate to the next, whereby the iow of material is retarded and the wearing out of the chute floor reduced.

The bin walls serve for confining the material' to formA a main body around the avalanche chute; andthe gates 40 serve for gradually withdrawing material at any one of selected delivery voutlets under said body' and them in a rece tacle, the withdepositin drawal belng retarded b t e gator by the material as it piles up intie truck.

As the gate may be disposed practically on the bottom 'of the truck, there is not any appreciable fall when the material is discharge The barriers 50 limit the' portion of material being delivered to an upright column, downwardly gravitationally mov ing in free contact at every side with the main body, as previously explained.

In Fig. -3, in additionto the upright vertical corner pieces 50, of right-angular crosssection, mounted on the respective corners of said delivery opening, I also provide irst intermediate upright pieces 56, 57 mounted at the side edges of the delivery opening 36 midway between the adjacent corner pieces. This permits a larger delivery opening.;' and to insure against any lateral motion, such as might be vcaused by piling the material higher on one side than the other. I provide intersecting partitions 58, 59 respectively connecting opposite intermediate partitions 56 and 57. Said pieces 56,57 and partitionsv 58, 59 define four vertical delivery chutes each open at two sidesenti'rely from end to end and extending fromthe delivery opening 1. In combination, a hopper for lowering coal, coke and like material comprising a funnel part, a discharge chute, and a transverse balile in the funnel part over said chute and downwardly outwardly laterally inclined at both sides; and means receiving from, and retarding material in, the discharge chute.

v2. In combination, 'a hopper comprising an upper funnel part, a downwardly extending central vertical discharge chute, means receiving material from, and 'retarding material in, the discharge chute, and an elongated laterally downwardly inclined transverse baiile'disposed over and spaced from said discharge chute toretard the lIliow of .openings in its floor; and vertical corner funnel part whereby material in the funnel part may retard material in the discharge doors.

3.In combination, a bin having a Hoor provided with a delivery opening toward which the floor slopes in every direction; material retarding means for each opening; and upright barriers around said openings, delining a laterally open delivery chute open substantially from top to bottom on every side.

4. In combination, a bin having delivery pieces, of right-angular cross-section; mounted on the respective corners of said delivery openings, the corner pieces of each opening defining a vertical delivery chute open at every side entirely from end to end and extending from the delivery opening to near the top of the bin, said corner 'pieces forming barriers limiting the portion of coal being delivered to an upright column, downwardly lgravitationally moving without breakage and grinding in reecontact at'every side with the main body of material, upon the top only of which column, as the column descends, fresh material being fed from all sides from the top layer only of the main body, with a minimum of degradation, at a slanting angle ot about 25 to 30 degrees, the parts of said material below the top layers and adjacent to the open sides automatically forming a horizontally outwardly arched barrier preventing the flow of the main body into the column except at the top, whereby degrading disturbance, grinding and breaking of the main body are prevented.

5.` In combination, a storage bin or pocket for coal, coke and other brittle or similar material, comprising vertical side walls and a floor; a hopper over said bin near said mid part ofthe upper part of one side wall; an inclined avalanche chute in the bin over the main axis of the ioor and having its upper end receiving said discharge chute and its lower end on the floor near the opposite wall, said inclined avalanche chute comprising a pair of spaced side walls, said floor being divided into two elongated portions by the avalanche chute, said portions being formed into a plurality of adjacent sections each provided with a 'square delivery outlet opening near its middle part; a gate for each opening; the floor of each section sloping toward the opening thereof; and spaced vertical pieces mounted around said delivery openings, de-

fining delivery chutes open at every side to near the top of the bin.

6..In combination, a bin having a oor having a rectangular delivery opening therein, upright vertical corner pieces, of rightangular cross-section, mounted on the respective corners of said delivery openings, flat intermediate upright pieces mounted at the side edges of said opening midway between the respective corner pieces.

7. In combination, a bin having a floor having an elongated vrectangular delivery opening therein toward which said iioor slopes on all sides, upright vertical corner pieces, of right-angular cross section, mounted on the respective corners of said delivery openings; flat intermediate upright pieces mounted at the side edges of said opening midway between the respective corner pieces; and intersecting partitions connecting opposite intermediate partitions. I

8. In combination, a bin for owable solid material having large and medium pieces and lines therein; iilling means therein remote from a wall of the bin Jfor lowering mate'.- rial into said bin, whereby the i'ines sink near the filling means, the large pieces move to remote parts of the bin, and the intermediate pieces move to an intermediate space; the bin having a lower outlet opening under said space remote from the filling means and the walls of the bin; a withdrawal chute coniprising uprights on the edges of said opening leaving the chute unclosed on all sides; the walls ot the withdrawal chute limiting the material being withdrawn to a column above said opening; the fines and the medium pieces of the top layer of the main body passing in fromall directions to said unclosed sides and mixing in said chute during withdrawal.

9. In an apparatus for lowering coal, coke and other flowable solid material comprising an inclined chute having side walls and avalanche plates remote from each other disposed transversely across the chute, the upper face of each avalanche plate being unobstructed and wide and substantially all in one plane and disposed at an angle slightly less steep than the angle of repose of the material on the plate, to permit the material coming down the chute to build up upon the avalanche plate until the weight of the builtup material is suflicient to cause the material to avalanche in a body over the plate, structure of said chute being arranged relative to the avalanche plates to maintain a substantially relatively stationary protecting bed of said material between and substantially connecting said plates, over which bed the material passes to and from the avalanche plates and Jfrom one plate to the next.

10. In an apparatus for lowering coal, coke and other iiowable solid material comprising an inclined chute havin side walls, and an avalanche plate remote rom the ends of the chute disposed transversely across the chute, the upper face of the avalanche plate being unobstructed and wide and substantially all in one plane and disposed at an angle slightly less steep than the angle of repose of the material on the plate, to permit the material coming down the chute to build up upon the avalanche plate until the weight of the builtup material is suiicient to cause the material to avalanche in a body over the plate, structure of said chute being arranged relative to the avalanche plate to maintain a substantially relatively stationary protecting bed of said material between said plate and the ends of the chute, over which bed the material passes to and from the avalanche plate, whereby the flow of material is retarded and the wearing out of the ch-ute floor reduced.

11. In combination, a bin having a Hoor provided with a delivery 4opening therein; and substantially upright barriers around said openings, defining a laterally open delivery chute open substantially from top to bottom on every side.

12. In combination, a bin for iiowable solid material having large and medium pieces and fines therein; filling means in the bin, remote from at least one wall of the bin, for lowering material into said bin, whereby the nes sink near the filling means, the large pieces move to a part of the bin remote from said fines and near said wall, and the intermediately sized pieces move to an intermediate space between the fines and the large pieces; the iioor of the bin having an outlet opening under said intermediate space remote from the filling means and said wall; and a withdrawal chute comprising uprights on the edges of said opening leaving the chute unclosed throughout on one or more sides from top to bottom of the chute; said uprights of the withdrawal chute limiting the material being withdrawn to a column above said opening in contact from top to bottom of the main body of material in the chute; the fines the large pieces and the intermediately sized pieces of the top layer of the main body of material passing along the top of the main body to said chute and mixing in said chute during withdrawal. l

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day 'of June, A.'D. 1929.

i A HENRY ADAMS. 

